Hans von Tschammer und Osten

(1887 - 1943)

Hans von Tschammer und Osten became an SA colonel
of the Nazi Party in 1931. He was a leader of the SA-Group Centre and a member of the Reichstag, but his most
well-known position was his role as Reich Sport Leader.

Von Tschammer und Osten's job was to enhance the physical
activity and athleticism of Germans. Aesthetic beauty was honored during
the Third Reich, and von Tschammer und Osten implemented a policy of
racial exclusion within sports. Jewish athletes were prohibited from
participation in national sporting events.

Athleticism and fitness became so important that certain
jobs, and all universities, required a certain amount of physical activity
as part of the application process. Sporting events became a source
of national pride for the Germans.